NATIONAL NEWS: AFTRA

The African Forum of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA) is to develop Teacher Professional Development and Qualification Framework for Nigeria and Gambia.

 Dr Steve Nwokeocha, Director, Professional Operation of Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), said this  in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

 Nwokeocha said the forum was commissioned to develop the framework by the African Union through UNESCO.

 He said the decision was taken in June, 2013 by the AU as it felt that it was important for African countries to have a common standard for teacher education and qualification.

 According to him, forum was commissioned in November 2013 and the research started in December.

 He said that Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria was mandated by the forum to handle the research as a pilot project for two countries, Nigeria and Gambia.

 Nwokeocha said that the findings of the study would facilitate the inclusion of Nigeria and Gambia in Africa and global teacher professional development and qualification framework.

 He said that the project was 70 per cent completed, adding that Nigeria had been covered and in the next one or two weeks the group would be in Gambia to do same.

 He added that by April the findings would be presented at the meeting of ministers in Cameroon.